Scaevola plant named &#39;BONSCA 1203&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Scaevola  plant named ‘Bonsca 1203’, characterized by its compact, mounding to trailing plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; pink-colored flowers; and good container and garden performance.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Scaevola aemula

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘BONSCA 1203’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Scaevola plant, botanically known as Scaevola aemula and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonsca 1203’.

The new Scaevola plant a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, mounding and early-flowering Scaevola plants with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Scaevola plant originated from an open-pollination in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in February, 2011 of a proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula identified by the code number 11-26, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown proprietary selection of Scaevola aemula, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Scaevola plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in December, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Scaevola plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since December, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Scaevola plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Scaevola have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonsca 1203’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonsca 1203’ as a new and distinct Scaevola plant:

-   -   1. Compact, mounding to trailing plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Pink-colored flowers.     -   6. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Scaevola differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola are more compact than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Flower petals of plants of the new Scaevola are flatter than         flower petals of plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Flower petals of plants of the new Scaevola are darker pink         in color than flower petals of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Scaevola can be compared to plants of the Scaevola aemula ‘Bomy Pinka’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,943. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Scaevola differed from plants of the ‘Bomy Pinka’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Scaevola were more compact than and not as         vigorous as plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.     -   2. Plants of the new Scaevola were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.     -   3. Plants of the new Scaevola had shorter internodes than plants         of ‘Bomy Pinka’.     -   4. Leaves of plants of the new Scaevola were shorter than leaves         of plants of ‘Bomy Pinka’.     -   5. Plants of the new Scaevola flowered much earlier than plants         of ‘Bomy Pinka’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Scaevola plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Scaevola plant. The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 1203’ grown in a container. The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonsca 1203’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late summer in 30-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Scaevola production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 25° C. Plants were three months old when the photographs were taken and four months old when the detailed description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Scaevola aemula ‘Bonsca 1203’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Scaevola             aemula identified as code number 11-26, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown proprietary selection of             Scaevola aemula, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 21° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About four weeks at             temperatures about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Compact, mounding to trailing             plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with lateral             branches potentially forming at every node; pinching             enhances branching potential.         -   Plant height.—About 21.7 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 81.7 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 40.7 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.1 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1.15 cm.         -   Aspect.—Outwardly, decumbent.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 137C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Spatulate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Sparsely serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 138B; venation, close to 143C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and shape.—Zygomorphic, semi-circular,             fan-shaped flowers with five petals fused at the base to             form a tubular flower throat; flower throat open along the             upper surface exposing the reproductive organs.         -   Flower arrangement and quantity.—Solitary sessile flowers             arising from upper leaf axils; flowers mostly horizontal;             freely flowering habit with typically about 248 flowers             developing per plant.         -   Flowering time.—Early flowering habit, plants begin             flowering after about three to four weeks after planting;             long flower period, plants flower continuously from spring             to late autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers typically last about a week on the             plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Present, pleasant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.7 mm.             Shape: Lenticular. Color: Close to 75C; towards the apex,             close o 138A.         -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 1.5 cm by 2.6 cm. Depth: About             1.2 cm. Tube length: About 1 cm. Tube diameter: About 3.4             mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Five, fused at base. Length,             beyond tube: About 1.4 cm. Width, beyond tube: About 4.1 mm.             Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Cuspidate. Margin: Entire;             weakly undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 68B.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 68C. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 73B; venation, close to N77A to             N77B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 73C;             longitudinal central stripe, close to N144A. Throat: Close             to NN155C and N144B. Tube: Close to 145B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Two. Length: About 6.1 mm.             Width: About 1.4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly pubescent. Color: When opening and fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 137C. When opened and fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 137D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             Five. Anther size: About 1.3 mm by 0.7 mm. Anther shape:             Ellipsoidal. Anther color: Close to 11B. Pollen: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 11B. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Style color: Close             to N77B. Stigma color: Close to 146B. Ovary color: Close to             146B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Scaevola. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Scaevola have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Scaevola have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Scaevola     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Scaevola plant named ‘Bonsca 1203’ as illustrated and described. 